It's All About The Timing
by Smackalicious
Summary: After a blow to the head, Tony realizes the importance of timing and taking chances when they're given. AU. Tony/Paula, Tony/Abby, McGee/Ziva. Multi-chapter. Written for NFA's Secret Santa 2013.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: It's All About The Timing**  
**Pairing: Tony/Paula, Tony/Abby, McGee/Ziva**  
**Characters: Just about everyone.**  
**Rating: K+**  
**Genre: AU, Drama, some Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Suspense**  
**Cat: Het**  
**Spoilers: Bury Your Dead and Grace Period**  
**Warnings: None.**  
**Summary: After a blow to the head, Tony realizes the importance of timing and taking chances when they're given.**  
**Author's Note: Written for iheartGibbs for the NFA Secret Santa 2013. I used a bit of creative license and combined these two prompts (sort of): All I Want for Christmas – team story based around a holiday theme. Any genre.**  
**Beyond the Ordinary – Something AU, not necessarily holiday themed. The sky's the limit.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

Tony sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Man, that was some hit. It felt like someone had pistol whipped him from behind. . . He rolled his eyes as he realized that was likely exactly what had happened. But he wasn't claiming to be a writer or anything – that was McGeek's territory. He smirked to himself as he thought of how very wrong his novelist friend had been about the events that occurred in his books mimicking real life, or was it the opposite way around? Either way, he doubted McGoo was upset about how things had happened.

He blinked to clear his head. Why was he thinking about McGee right now? He'd obviously just been assaulted by someone or some_thing_; he needed to get off his ass and figure out who or what that was, because he wanted to yell at them for messing up his hair, if nothing else.

He gave his hair a self-conscious smoothing, then pushed himself to his feet, immediately regretting that decision. "Whoa," he said, wobbling and then stumbling his way over to a metal bench, where he collapsed. "I feel like a Weeble." He moved into a sitting position. "Except they don't fall down." He took the opportunity he had to gaze around. "Where the hell am I, anyway?"

Before him was a river, separated from him by only a few yards of pavement and a metal fence. He turned, taking in the rest of his surroundings and made a noise of discovery. "Of course. Navy Yard. That . . . makes sense." He frowned as he thought more about it. "Except we moved to Quantico. So why would I be here?"

"There you are!" A breathy female voice sounded behind him, and he froze, sure he was hearing things. "Come on, Gibbs is waiting." He didn't move and she continued. "Tony? You okay?"

He finally turned to face her and resisted the urge to rub his eyes like a little kid, instead saying, "Paula? What . . . How . . . Aren't you dead?"

She gave him a look like he'd lost his mind (and Tony was progressively feeling more and more like that was a very real possibility) and shook her head, holding out her hand to him. "If that's your way of getting out of work, not gonna fly. Like I said, Gibbs is waiting. We got a case."

Tony still felt like he was living in a dream world, but he took hold of Paula's hand – which was warm and very much that of a living person's – and allowed her to pull him to his feet. He grimaced as he stood, sure he was going to feel like passing out again, but was surprised to find that he felt fine, like he hadn't just been clobbered like some dirty perp.

As they walked back to the NCIS Headquarters – which were still very much in the Navy Yard – he couldn't shake the feeling that life as he knew it was going to look a lot different once he walked through those doors.

* * *

"Boss?"

"Yeah, McGee, I know. This doesn't look good."

Gibbs stood from his squatting position, a leather ID card holder in his hand. The outside of it was sticky with blood-covered snow, and when he flipped it open, the card inside confirmed his worst suspicions.

NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

* * *

Tony and Paula walked into the squad room, Tony gazing around as they entered, expecting to see gray walls and faces of people he hadn't seen in years, but the walls were as orange as the last time he left work and the faces the same familiar ones he saw day in and out. Except Paula. He still couldn't make sense of that.

"About time, DiNozzo," Gibbs' voice sounded, and Tony felt relieved that he hadn't changed from what he remembered. "McGee's waiting for you downstairs, Abby's lab."

"I thought. . ." Tony pointed back towards where he and Paula had just come. "Paula said we had a case."

"Saying Gibbs was waiting was a hell of a lot faster way to get you back to work than telling you to go see McGee and Abby," Paula said, giving him a pointed look. "And since I didn't see any coffee cup near you, I'm assuming you in fact did not go to get coffee."

Tony just stared at her, trying to make sense of what was going on – he went to get coffee, someone whacked him and he passed out, and now he was living in some alternate reality where Paula was still alive and Ziva was . . .

"DiNozzo." Gibbs' voice cut into his thoughts and Tony nodded, heading for the elevator. He'd use the trip downstairs to try to wrap his head around what was happening, and he just hoped he wasn't walking into something even weirder than what he'd already experienced.

* * *

"It's gotta be Santos," McGee said, hanging on to the handle above the passenger side door as Gibbs sped through the streets of Annapolis, where Tony had been undercover the past few days. When he didn't check in with them and they received no answer from his cell phone, McGee traced the cell and it had led them to an alley, where they'd found the cell and Tony's ID, but no Tony.

"Ya think, McGee?" Gibbs responded, giving the wheel a brisk yank as he turned a corner. "We know where he's been hiding out, but haven't had a reason for a search warrant. And now, we don't have time to waste." He pulled out his cell phone, glancing back and forth from it to the road, causing McGee to pale as he thought about all the ways this could end. Gibbs punched in a few numbers, then held the phone up to his ear, waiting for an answer, while McGee let out a sigh of relief that Gibbs could focus his attention back on the road. "Hey, Tobias," he said after a few moments. "Remember that favor you owe me?"

* * *

Tony let out a breath as he entered Abby's lab and found it exactly as he remembered, along with the two people standing at the computers in the center of the room. McGee looked like he'd put a few pounds back on and he had that buzz cut that made him look like a 15-year-old, but he was still the McGee Tony knew and harassed on a daily basis, so that made him breathe easier. He figured the best plan of action would be to act like nothing was out of the ordinary, because to everybody else, nothing was.

"Hey, Probie," he called out as he joined them. "Paula said you were waiting for me."

McGee rolled his eyes as he turned to him. "Yeah, for like an hour. Sure takes you a long time to grab a cup of coffee."

Tony waved off McGee's annoyance. "Catch me up."

Abby started babbling off the facts of the case and Tony made mental notes of what the case was about, since he'd had no idea prior to coming down here. Once she was done, Tony winked at her and grabbed McGee, leading him to the elevator.

As they waited for the car to arrive, Tony decided to ask about the missing member of their team – though he wasn't too surprised she wasn't there, given her condition. "So, how's our favorite ninja?"

But rather than getting all giddy about it like McGee was known to do when Ziva came up, he just looked confused, his brow furrowed as he turned to Tony. "Who?"

It was Tony's turn to look incredulous. "Uh, Ziva?"

McGee shook his head. "Still not following, Tony."

Tony blinked once, in disbelief. "Come on, Probie. She's your _wife_." If McGee was just trying to make him look like an idiot, he was doing a pretty . . .

"I think I would know if I were married, Tony, especially to someone with a name like Ziva." McGee raised an eyebrow and cocked his head. "Did they put something in that coffee, like drugs of some sort?"

Tony covered his internal freak-out with a smile and a forced laugh. "Ha, yeah, very funny, McGee. You know, I almost had you going." He waved a finger at him as the elevator finally opened and they stepped inside.

"Sure you did," McGee responded, choosing not to question the other man.

As the doors closed and they headed back to the squad room, the smile on Tony's face disappeared. First Paula reappeared from the dead, now Ziva wasn't even someone the one person who should know her best – her husband – was aware of. . . Tony wasn't sure what had happened when he passed out, but somehow, it seemed he actually was in an alternate universe.

And he didn't know how he was going to get back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

McGee stared out at the softly falling snow, waiting for Gibbs to give the orders as to what to do next. He figured they'd wait for Fornell to show up with his team of back-up agents, since going after Santos on their own would likely land them in the same place as Tony.

But Gibbs, being Gibbs, had other plans.

"Come on, McGee," he said as he parked the car and turned off the engine. He opened his door and swung a foot out, but McGee just stared at him, not moving. Gibbs looked over his shoulder at him. "You coming?"

"Boss. . ." McGee started, swallowing hard before continuing. "Shouldn't we wait for Fornell? We don't know how many guys Santos has with him, and just the two of us. . . I mean, what if something happens? I don't just have myself to worry about anymore."

Gibbs just stared at him. He understood his worries, because he'd been married more than once, but given the circumstances. . . "You saying Tony's not worth risking your life for?"

McGee's eyes widened as he began to back-pedal. "No. No, that's not at all what I was saying. I just. . ."

Gibbs took a step toward him, his voice quiet. "You said your relationship with Ziva wasn't going to affect your job. So far you haven't let it. I don't want that to change."

McGee nodded. "Yes, Boss."

Gibbs echoed his nod. "I know you're anxious about everything that's going on, but DiNozzo needs us right now." He lifted Tony's ID, which he'd kept on him, needing the reminder that this was urgent. "If this is his blood. . ."

McGee's nodding became more vigorous. "You're right. He could be hurt." He swallowed the urge to say 'or worse,' knowing it was something of which Gibbs was already far too aware. "We have to find him." He turned back to the warehouse before them, ready to take off, then felt Gibbs' hand on his shoulder and turned back to face him.

"We'll be even more careful than usual," Gibbs said, and McGee couldn't find the words to respond, just nodded again, then they headed for the warehouse.

Their only goal now was to find Tony.

* * *

Tony forced himself to adjust to the reality in which he found himself, knowing he had no choice, at least for the moment. It was weird to be working with Paula, because she'd never truly been a part of their team. He briefly wondered where Kate was in this reality, but figured it was better that he not ask, lest he get a response like McGee's when he asked about Ziva.

"Tony." He looked up at the sound of Paula's voice and found her smiling at him. "You're awfully quiet today. What's going on in that big head of yours?"

He frowned at her insult and she laughed, which softened the blow a bit. She had a beautiful laugh. He'd always liked that about her. "Just thinking," he replied. That much was true. His mind was going a mile a minute trying to make sense of whatever had happened to him.

"Don't think too hard," Gibbs' voice joined in the conversation. "Might hurt yourself."

That drew laughter from not only Paula, but McGee, and Tony glared at the younger man. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Not all of us spend our lives connected to a desk chair."

McGee rolled his eyes and turned his computer off, reaching down to grab his backpack. "That was weak, even for you, Tony. Are you sure there wasn't anything strange in that coffee you had earlier?" Tony didn't respond, just continued to glare, so McGee decided to ignore him and stood up, looking to Gibbs. "Boss?"

"Go home," he said. "All of you."

Tony nodded, but moved slowly in getting his things together. What if he lived somewhere else? What if he was married? Did he even have a car here? How many other things were different from the reality he was used to?

"Hey." He looked up at Paula's voice, finding her standing by his desk, looking slightly concerned. "Are you okay? You've been off all day. What happened when you went out to get coffee?"

He hesitated, then said, "Can we talk about that alone?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Come on, grab your stuff. I'll drive. You have the keys?"

Tony searched his pockets until he found the set of keys for his car and apartment/house/whatever, trying not to act too surprised at Paula's words just then. _The _keys? Did that mean . . . they lived together?

She took the keys and waited for him as he grabbed his backpack and stood, following her to the elevator. He'd made a decision – he was going to tell her what happened when he'd woken up. Whether she believed him or not was another matter entirely.

* * *

Gibbs and McGee scaled the outside of the warehouse, listening for any signs of life within the building. When they were sure it was safe – or as safe as it could be, given the circumstances – they made a run for it, entering the warehouse and quickly scanning the area.

"I got nothing, Boss," McGee whispered.

Gibbs nodded, still keeping his gun trained in case there was someone hiding somewhere, though it seemed as though they were alone in the big space. They kept walking through the building, searching every place they could find in the hopes of finding Tony – or a clue of where he could be.

Gibbs felt a vibration in his pocket and took out his phone, signaling to McGee before scanning the area again and then running for the exit, his footsteps almost inaudible. Once he was outside, he answered the call. "Hey, Tobias." He listened for a few moments, then spoke again. "We haven't found anything yet. Looks like the place was abandoned. You close? Okay, we'll wait for you here." He hung up and was just about to go back inside the warehouse when McGee walked out, his eyes wide.

Gibbs met him halfway, sure he had found Tony. Whatever it was had him in shock. "McGee. You find something?"

McGee shook his head, then blinked, seeming to focus. "Boss, I gotta go."

Gibbs looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "McGee! What. . ."

"It's Ziva," he said, not even waiting for Gibbs to finish. "She's in labor."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Tony waited until he and Paula were in his car (the one that had been blown up during the whole La Grenouille debacle) and well on their way home (their home?) before he spoke. "Something weird happened today."

Paula glanced at him before turning her attention back to the road. "Yeah? Weird like alien weird or weird like Abby weird?"

He laughed at that, but it was short-lived as he remembered how very _wrong _this whole thing was. He'd give anything to have Paula back in his life, but not like this. This was just . . . weird. That was the only word that seemed to really describe it.

"Little bit of both?" he finally said, shrugging. "Maybe we'd be better off waiting until we're somewhere where I can look you in the eye while I'm talking."

"You're scaring me, Tony," Paula said, giving him another glance, this one concerned.

"Don't worry," he said, plastering a smile on his face. "We'll be fine. Just drive."

Paula frowned, but did as ordered, and Tony couldn't help but notice the needle on the speedometer creep steadily higher as they went.

* * *

Gibbs closed the distance between himself and McGee, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder as he reached him. "She call you?"

McGee shook his head. "Text. From Abby. She'd called work and we weren't there, so she called Abby and Abby called Jimmy, who called Breena, who was going to pick Ziva up and take her to the hospital."

"Whoa, breathe, Tim," Gibbs said, his tone gentle. "She'll be fine."

"I know, Boss, I just. . ." He looked up, his expression worried. "What if I miss it? I can't miss it. It's my first child."

Gibbs patted his shoulder again, understanding all too well what McGee was feeling, but knowing Tony's life was in danger, and that was what was most important here. "The sooner we find Tony, the sooner you can get to Ziva," was what he settled for, knowing it would make McGee work faster and more efficiently – not that he needed to worry about that in the first place.

McGee nodded, then lifted his head as headlights came into view. Gibbs turned around and greeted Fornell as he stepped out of his car. "Tobias. How many men you got?"

"As many as you need, Gibbs." Fornell slammed his door shut and joined them. "Already got about 20 guys scouring the city, looking for any sign of Santos, his crew or DiNozzo. You know he's not bound to stick around for long, though."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Gibbs muttered. "Well, come on. You're with us now."

They piled into Gibbs' car, McGee making a mental note that Gibbs hadn't mentioned Ziva to Fornell. He had to remind himself that finding Tony was more important right now, because it was a matter of life and death, but all he wanted was to be with his wife.

"Where do we start?" McGee asked, taking a spot in the backseat and getting his laptop ready.

Gibbs didn't turn around as he spoke. "At the beginning."

* * *

Tony stood on the sidewalk as he and Paula got out of his car, and he stared up at the apartment building. It was his building, that much hadn't changed, but the idea that he didn't live here alone was something he was having trouble wrapping his head around.

"Tony," Paula called, and he looked over to find her at the door to the building, waiting for him.

He jogged over to join her and followed her up the stairs, waiting as she unlocked the door to his apartment and led them inside. They both dropped their gear next to the door and he looked around for signs of a woman living there. It wasn't a dramatic change from what he already had – a few flowers arranged in a vase on the coffee table, a soft green fleece blanket over the back of the couch. It surprised him for a moment that there weren't more obvious feminine touches, but Paula wasn't overly girly in nature, and he wasn't sure how long they'd been living together, or if they were just casually dating, or what the situation was.

He heard the refrigerator close and looked into the kitchen to see Paula walking back to the living room with two bottles of beer. She set one on a coaster on the coffee table and kept the other for herself, twisting off the cap and taking a long gulp before sitting on the couch, folding a leg under herself. "Gonna join me?" she asked, giving him a lazy smile.

He couldn't resist the opportunity to return the grin and toed off his shoes before walking over and collapsing next to her, his actions exaggerated and earning him a laugh.

"Long day, huh?" Paula said, reaching over and running a hand through his hair. "So what's going on that you couldn't tell me about while we were on the road?"

Tony let out a sigh, leaning back against the back of the couch. "I don't really know how to explain it. None of it makes sense to me."

"Try," Paula urged, her voice soft. She sat up straighter then. "If this is about us. . ."

"No." Tony was quick to assure her of that, reaching over to take her hand. "This is something I've wanted pretty much since the first moment I met you. I wouldn't do anything to mess that up."

Paula waited for him to continue and when he didn't, said, "But? Something's holding you back."

He chuckled. "You're not going to believe me even if I can explain it to you."

Paula was silent for a moment, then said, "This has something to do with earlier, when you thought I should be dead, doesn't it?"

He glanced over at her. "Yeah. I don't know what happened, but. . ."

She put her other hand over the one Tony was holding. "You might not think I'll believe you, but I'm willing to listen. We're in this together, Tony."

He looked up and into her eyes and could see she was telling the truth. He swallowed and started to speak. . .

* * *

Gibbs heard his phone ring and put it on speaker, saying, "Gibbs."

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" The three men in the car could almost see Abby bouncing around in her lab. "Where _are _you guys? McGee needs to be at the hospital pronto! I told Ziva you were out on a case, but I don't even know where you are or what you're doing, just that you're . . . not here! And if this isn't important, Ziva is going to be soooo. . ."

"Abbs." Gibbs' voice shut her up and he rolled his eyes slightly as he explained what was going on. "You remember the case Tony was working undercover?"

"Santos, of course," she said, sounding more sober. "He's been in Maryland the past few days trying to infiltrate their organization." She paused and when she spoke again, her voice sounded worried. "What happened? Is he okay?"

Gibbs hesitated, then said, "He's missing."

"_What?_ Oh my God, Gibbs, you have to find him!" A faint farting noise sounded over the line and Fornell made a face, which Gibbs waved away.

"We're working on it, Abbs. In the meantime, if there's anything you can do from back at NCIS. . ."

"I'll take advantage of all my resources, Gibbs," she said, then, sensing he was going to hang up, added, "Gibbs, wait. What do I tell Ziva?"

Gibbs sighed and flicked his gaze up to the rearview mirror, where he met McGee's eyes. "Just tell her McGee'll be there as soon as possible."

"Okay," Abby said, but didn't sound happy about it. "I'll call you if I find anything useful, Gibbs."

Gibbs ended the call and avoided looking back at McGee, knowing the younger agent was likely trying to hide how upset he was. Instead he looked to Fornell, who looked curious.

"What's going on with Ziva?" he asked, and Gibbs sighed, knowing Fornell would have picked up on that.

"She's in labor," he said simply, and Fornell's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't comment on it, realizing when Gibbs wanted to drop a subject.

"We better find DiNozzo pretty damn quick then," was all he said, and buckled his seatbelt.

That was a good enough sign as any to Gibbs, who turned the key in the ignition and asked over his shoulder, "Got any clues, McGee?"

"I think we should start at the Naval Academy," he said without looking up from his laptop. He was focused on his research, any hint of anger from earlier gone from his expression. "Santos was enrolled at the academy from 2008 to 2010, so he likely knows the area well. If he's looking for a place to hide – whether himself or a body – that seems a good bet."

Gibbs nodded and stepped on the gas. There was no way in hell he was letting Santos get away with this – and if Tony was dead, there was no way Santos was getting out alive.

* * *

"I didn't get coffee," Tony started. "I actually don't know what happened, but right before you got there, all I remember is opening my eyes and being on the ground. It was like someone pistol whipped me on the back of the head. It really hurt. I sat up and felt like I was going to be sick, and then when I stood up. . . That was a big mistake, let me tell you. But somehow I managed to make it over to the bench. I was trying to make sense of what happened when I heard you."

Paula tightened her grip on his hand. "You didn't tell me you got hurt! You seemed fine, aside from asking me if I was dead, which was weird, even for you."

"That's the thing, though," Tony continued, turning a little so he was facing her. "None of what happened today seemed right." He froze then, seeming to realize something, then stood from the couch and turned in a circle, looking for something.

"Tony? What is going on?" Paula demanded.

He sat back down, unable to find what he was looking for, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What year is it?"

She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "It's 2004. Tony. . ."

He shook his head, laughing, but it wasn't an amused laugh, it was the kind of laugh where something's so unbelievable it _must _be real. "No. It's 2013." He ran his hands over his hair, holding the back of his head as he attempted to make sense of everything, then looked back up at Paula, who looked almost scared. He closed his eyes for a minute, willing himself to calm down, and took a couple of deep breaths, then opened his eyes again. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to figure out what's happened to me."

It was Paula's turn to shake her head. "None of what you're saying makes sense to me, either. Can you tell me more about what happened between now and then, though?"

He nodded and began to recount history as he remembered it. "First off, you were never even a member of the team. Do you know who Kate is?" Paula shook her head, so Tony continued. "She was on the team for two years, until she was killed by a terrorist. Ari. Gibbs was determined to kill the bastard. That's when Ziva came into town. She's from Mossad. She's been working with us ever since, and she and McGee are married. They're even expecting a baby." He frowned at the thought, because no matter what effect this had on _his _life, he didn't want it to affect the other people on the team, too.

Paula was silent for a few moments, then said, "So where do I fit into all this?"

Tony's expression grew bittersweet. "You still worked for NCIS, but you just weren't on Gibbs' team, and you certainly didn't give me the time of day." He laughed at that. "I tried so hard to get your attention. At least I know I succeeded in this reality."

"Tony. . ." Paula prodded him, and he shook his head, cutting her off.

"No, it's okay. I realized there were things I should have said and didn't, and I lost my chance. Maybe this is the universe's way of giving me another shot."

Paula grabbed his hand again. "What happened to me, Tony? You . . . you thought I was dead."

He nodded, his eyes unfocused. "Yeah. 2006. You had your own team, couple young guys. McGee knew one of them. Uh, they were on assignment, there was an explosion. . ." He shrugged. "Actually, we – as in Team Gibbs – were supposed to be on duty that weekend. That was hard to accept. Seems like I've escaped death more times than any normal person should."

"Maybe that's because you're not normal," Paula said, and Tony smiled at that, but still didn't really look at her.

"We investigated with you," he continued, "and in the end, you sacrificed yourself to save us." He shook his head. "I never was able to accept that. It didn't feel right." He finally focused on Paula again and saw she had tears in her eyes. "I realized after you were gone that I should've told you how I felt when I had the chance."

"How do you feel?" Paula whispered.

Tony took a deep breath, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, winced and held a hand up to his head.

Paula noticed and tightened her grip on his hand. "Tony? What's wrong?"

He looked at her and found her face was blurry, so he blinked his eyes a few times, but that didn't help and only seemed to make things worse. He shook his head. "I don't know, but. . ." he tried to focus on her face again, and a light bulb went off in his head, "I think I'm going back to my reality."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Gibbs got to the Naval Academy in record time and as he parked, Fornell and McGee were already on their way out of the car. Fornell's men had been checking in with him and so far, nobody had had any luck. The Academy was their best bet, so they were eager to start their search.

Fornell checked his phone after hearing it vibrate, alerting him to a new text message, then looked over at Gibbs. "About 6 of my guys are here, waiting for our directions."

Gibbs nodded. "Have them split up, 3 and 3. They can start on opposite ends of campus and work in. We'll take the chapel."

Fornell sent the directions out to his men, then slipped his phone back in his pocket. "Let's go," he said.

As they walked to the building, Fornell noticed McGee had been quiet since he gave them the info on Santos. He glanced over, speaking quietly. "You okay, Agent McGee?"

McGee straightened his back and said, "I'm fine. Just worried about Tony. We have to find him."

Fornell nodded, though he knew McGee wasn't saying everything. "We'll find him. And you'll get to Ziva in time."

McGee didn't respond, but he didn't have to. Fornell saw the look of determination on his face. Finding Tony was paramount, but McGee being at Ziva's side when she gave birth to their child. . . He had a daughter. He knew how important that moment was. And he knew Gibbs understood that, too.

Gibbs' voice tore Fornell from his thoughts. "We'll start in the crypt. With any luck, we won't have to spend long looking."

They approached the place of worship, each of them sharing the same thought that for someone as twisted as Santos, hiding a body in what was essentially a church was something right up his alley, so this was their best bet. They just hoped that if Tony was there, he was still alive.

Before they could go inside, a man in a police uniform appeared, his face stern. "May I help you gentlemen?" he asked, his stance suggesting he was ready to defend himself if necessary.

"We're federal agents," Gibbs supplied. "NCIS and FBI. I'm going to get my badge." He cautiously reached into his inside pocket for his ID, Fornell and McGee following suit.

The officer looked at their badges and nodded, relaxing his posture a bit. "What can I do to help NCIS and the FBI?"

"We're looking for one of my agents," Gibbs said. "We believe he's been abducted by this man." He took out a photo of Santos, hoping someone would recognize him.

The officer studied the photo for a few moments before shaking his head. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him, sir."

"We need to search the chapel and any surrounding buildings," Fornell said. "We believe this man could have come here either to hide himself or our missing agent."

The officer nodded again. "Of course. Go right ahead. I'll alert my fellow officers of your presence."

"Thank you," McGee supplied, as Gibbs and Fornell were already on their way in. He hurried after them, leaving the officer to look after them before pulling out his hand-held radio.

"Feds are here," he muttered into the device. "Need you guys at the chapel." He slipped the radio back into his belt, a smile creeping onto his face. "Never suspected a thing."

* * *

Paula moved to grasp Tony's shoulders, shaking him. "Tony, no. Stay with me."

Tony put his hands on his head, shaking it. "I can't. I can't do that to everyone else. It would mean . . . everything that happened in those 9 years didn't happen, no Kate, no Ziva, no McGee and Ziva being happy together. . ." He suddenly looked up at her, his eyes wide. "I can't do that to them! They're my best friends! Yeah, at first it was weird, because Ziva's pretty smoking hot and McGee's a total dork, but they're really happy together."

A tear slipped down Paula's face. "What about you, Tony? Don't _you _deserve to be happy?"

His expression softened and he lowered a hand to cup her face. "You're gone, Paula. I accepted it. I've moved on. I'm glad to have this experience, but I can't stay. I don't even think it's up to me."

She nodded and wiped away her tears. "You're right. I have to live with it. But you have to promise me you won't waste any more chances. Be happy, Tony. Obviously we didn't get that chance in whatever reality you need to go back to, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy with someone else."

He ran his thumb over her cheek. "I'll remember that. And what I was going to say earlier?" Paula nodded, encouraging him to continue, and he lowered his voice as he spoke. "I love you, Paula. I think I always did. I don't know why I never told you."

His revelation drew a sob from Paula, and she buried her face in his chest. "Oh my God, Tony. I love you, too." She let out a laugh that was half-sob, waiting for his response, and when she didn't get one, lifted her head, only then realizing . . . she was alone. Tony was gone. She was left wondering. . .

Was he ever there in the first place?

. . . In the crypt of the chapel at the Naval Academy, Tony lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking around and blinking, attempting to make some sense of where he was. He appeared to be alone, but he knew someone could very well be hiding somewhere. He raised a hand to his head, and it came away wet, making him grimace. Blood. Had to be. He tried looking at his hand, but it was too dim to see well, and just the thought of smelling it to check made his stomach curl in on itself.

It didn't matter. He was alive, and if he was indeed alone, that meant his captors had either assumed he was dead and left him there (which would be lucky for him) or else they were coming back to finish him off. He was really hoping for the first option.

He tried pushing himself into a sitting position, but before he could get far, he heard voices. He froze, not wanting to alert anyone he was conscious in case it was whoever put him there, and briefly considered lying down again, when he heard a whispered voice he was sure he was imagining, it was that welcome.

"Tony? Are you here?"

He couldn't help but whisper his own response. "McGee!"

"Where the hell'd McGee go?" Fornell muttered to Gibbs. "Thought you told him to stay with us."

"I did," Gibbs responded, sounding put out. They continued walking, searching the dim light of the crypt for any sign that Tony was there, that anybody had been there at all. He lowered his voice and said, "We're being followed."

Fornell grunted to show his acknowledgment, then said aloud, "Geez, your breath stinks. You need a mint, Gibbs," and reached for where he kept his gun.

Gibbs laughed, honing in on Fornell's plan, and said, "C'mon man, you don't think I don't have gum?" He reached for his own gun, then counted under his breath before hissing, "Now!"

They spun around to confront whoever was following them, finding two men dressed as Naval Academy police officers, holding out their own guns.

"Something tells me you gentlemen don't actually work here," Fornell said.

"You feds are always so stupid," one of the men, whom they recognized as the man they spoke with earlier, said. "You didn't even ask to see _my _ID. Idiots."

"But he did figure out that you were following us," Fornell said, referring to Gibbs. "And you believed that breath mint B.S., so maybe you two are the idiots."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, not wanting to waste any more time. "Where's my agent?"

The fake officer laughed. "You think we're just going to tell you?"

"You obviously have him," Gibbs said, and the other officer groaned under his breath, realizing the gaffe his cohort had made. "I don't believe he's dead, or else you would've been long gone. How'd you know to wait for us outside?"

"Don't answer that, Joe," the second officer hissed to his friend.

Fornell smiled at the fake officers. "You didn't know we were coming, did you, Joe? That's your name, right? Bet your boss just told you to wait outside, in case someone showed up. Nice touch with the uniforms, by the way. Too bad you're dealing with a real Navy cop who knows what the Naval Academy police uniforms actually look like. We just needed to get inside, hence the 'idiot' act, as you called it. Now, you can either come with us willingly, or we can use force." The fake officers looked at each other, clearly trying to decide if they should make a move, when Fornell spoke again. "We may be old guys, but he's a former Marine. I wouldn't risk it."

The fake officers shared another quick look, before attempting to bolt, but not before Gibbs jolted after them, knocking them down. Fornell was at his side in an instant, cuffing one of the guys while Gibbs cuffed the other. They pulled them to their feet, hauling them toward the exit, and Gibbs quipped, "Who you calling old, Tobias?"

Fornell just laughed, as the man in his arms – the one apparently named Joe – squirmed, turning his head and asking, "Don't you care about finding your agent? Maybe we work out a deal, we tell you where he is if you let us go?"

"Joe!" his cohort said, not wanting to admit to anything, for obvious reasons.

"Nah, that's being taken care of," Gibbs said, smiling a bit as he imagined the looks of confusion on their perpetrators' faces. He shoved them again as they reached the exit, meeting Fornell's agents, who took custody of the cuffed men.

Once they were free of the perps, Fornell turned to Gibbs. "What now?"

Gibbs just held up a finger as his phone rang, and answered it. "Gibbs. We're on our way, McGee." He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, then turned back for the chapel. "Come on."

Fornell watched him walk away, staring after him for a moment and muttering, "How the hell do you do that?" before following him back into the building.

"McGee!" Gibbs called out as they entered the crypt.

"Over here, Boss!" they heard, and followed his voice to where they found him sitting with Tony.

". . . and you had that terrible crew cut that made you look like a Lego guy. . ."

"Hey!" McGee turned from Tony to acknowledge Gibbs. "Hey, Boss. He's okay, for the most part, though he's spouting nonsense about being trapped in some alternate universe."

"It was real, I swear to God!" Tony said as Gibbs squatted to check him out, running a hand over his head. "Thanks for finding me, Boss."

"At least we got Santos," Gibbs said, grunting as he helped McGee lift Tony to his feet. "Come on, we gotta get to the hospital."

"I'll be fine, Boss, it's probably just a minor concussion," Tony said.

"Not for you," he said as they walked to the exit. "Ziva."

"Ziva?" Tony said, before it dawned on him and he looked over at McGee. "Oh my God, is she having the baby? Did she have it already? Please don't tell me she did."

"She's in labor, yes, but I don't think she's had the baby yet," McGee supplied. "At least I haven't heard anything from Abby. She had Jimmy and Breena take her."

Tony made a face. "Yikes. Hope the gremlin makes it out alive." He yelped as McGee pinched his arm and added, "Though I am sure it will be an enlightening experience, because Ziva is such a lovely woman. It'll probably make them want to have a baby right this minute."

"Uh-huh," McGee said. "I just want to get to the hospital."

They stepped outside, where Gibbs paused, clearly thinking about their perps.

"I got it, Gibbs." Gibbs looked over to Fornell, who shrugged. "My guys already have them in custody. And you probably should take DiNozzo to the hospital, just to make sure he's okay."

Gibbs didn't argue with him, just gave him a nod and said, "I owe you one, Tobias."

Fornell was already walking away and waved over his shoulder. Gibbs turned back to Tony and McGee. "Come on. There's a baby waiting to be born."

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter to go! Thanks for all the reviews/follows/faves, everyone! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

They made it to the hospital in record time, and as soon as the car was parked, Gibbs shooed McGee out, sending him to find Ziva. He didn't waste any time, running for the entrance, leaving Tony snickering.

Gibbs turned to look at him and Tony immediately sobered, then turned serious. "I'm sorry, Boss."

"Hey," Gibbs said softly. "What'd I tell you about apologizing?"

"It's a sign of weakness, I know," Tony said. "I just. . . If it wasn't for me getting in trouble again, Tim would've been able to be here sooner."

"Ziva'll understand," was all Gibbs said in response to that, then motioned for Tony to stand. "Come on, gonna get you checked out. And don't tell me you're fine, because I know a couple people who won't let you leave without someone looking you over."

Tony grumbled, but it was just for show, because Gibbs knew how much he enjoyed people fawning over him. Gibbs hid a smile and helped him into the hospital.

Meanwhile, McGee had gotten Ziva's room information from a nurse and was speeding through the hospital, finally finding the maternity ward and hurrying down the seemingly endless hallway until he found her room. He gave a soft knock on the door before pushing it open, not wanting to startle her.

"Ziva?" he said, noticing Jimmy and Breena sitting on the opposite side of the room after he spoke.

Ziva had been resting with her eyes closed, but as soon as she heard McGee's voice, her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up. "Tim! Where have you been?"

He hurried over to make her lie down again, running a hand over her head. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I got here as soon as I could and. . ."

"Is that blood?" Ziva was staring at his shirt, then looked up into his eyes, her expression worried. "Are you okay? What happened?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Tony. . ."

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed, looking to Jimmy for an explanation, but he just shrugged, so she turned back to McGee. "Timothy. . ."

"He's fine," McGee insisted. "He's downstairs right now. All that matters right now is you and the baby." Ziva just stared at him, her stare narrowing to a glare after a few moments, and McGee rolled his eyes. "Ziva, I'll tell you the whole story later, but right now, it's time to have this baby."

"As long as everyone is okay," Ziva said, still glaring at him.

He nodded. "I promise. I wouldn't lie to you, Ziva."

"I know you wouldn't." She lifted a hand to his face, her gaze softening, and lowered her voice. "I love you."

McGee swelled with pride and looked like he was about to melt at the same time. "I love you, too," he said, lowering his head so he could kiss her.

While they were kissing, Jimmy's voice sounded from the opposite side of the room. "Should we, uh, leave you two alone?" McGee just waved them off, so Jimmy turned to Breena. "Let's get out of here." She nodded and stood, taking his hand, and they walked out, Jimmy calling out, "Good luck!" over his shoulder.

Moments later, Ziva pulled away from the kiss, and McGee grinned. "Just wanted to get rid of them, huh?" he asked, assuming that's why she kissed him.

She shook her head. "No. I am having a contraction. I think it's time."

McGee's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, just pressed the button for the nurse, hoping someone would show up soon. He was ready to become a father.

"Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony!" The sound of Abby's heavy boots clomping across the tile floor filled the ER and Tony looked up just in time to get a flying armful of the lab tech, who gave him one of her infamous hugs. "Oh my God, I was so worried! Gibbs said you were missing and I was trying not to freak out because nobody likes when I freak out, but do you _know _how hard it is not to freak out when I don't know where you are? Thank God you're okay." She nestled into him, humming appreciatively, and Tony let out a strangled noise, making Abby loosen her grip. "You _are _okay, right? Because I am so not okay with you not being okay."

He nodded. "I'm fine. I just couldn't breathe, that's all." He rolled a shoulder. "I always forget how hard you hug."

"Oh, did I hurt you, Tony?" Abby backed off, but ran a hand over Tony's head. "Poor baby. What did those bad men do to you?"

He shrugged. "I don't really remember much, actually. All I remember is waking up in the crypt at the Naval Academy with McGee looking down at me. Kinda wish it had been you instead." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Definitely would have been a prettier sight."

Abby blushed a little and bit her lip, but couldn't help but smile at his compliment. "I'm just glad they found you in time. I can't imagine what I'd do without you, Tony. And I mean that." She hugged him again, but was much gentler this time.

Tony returned the hug, and as he thought about Abby's words, he suddenly remembered what happened in his alternate universe dream or whatever it was with Paula, how she wanted him to be happy, not waste any more time, and how when he had a chance, he should take it. The thought of doing that kinda scared him, but. . .

He cleared his throat and asked, "How's the Momma Ninja?"

"You know she hates when you call her that, right?" Abby said, rubbing circles on his back.

"I think she secretly likes it," he said, and winked at Abby when she pulled away from him.

She giggled and said, "I think you're probably right, but don't tell her I told you that." She sighed. "I think she's probably a lot better now that Timmy's with her." She froze. "He _is _with her, right?"

Tony nodded. "Gibbs told him to go find her and I think that's the fastest I've ever seen him run. Pretty funny sight, really."

Abby rolled her eyes. "Not funny to pick on McGee like that. He was just excited, and wanted to get to his wife. You know, the one who's having his baby? Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing."

He thought about her words and nodded, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Yeah, I would." He grew silent for a few moments, then said, "Abbs, if you could have anything in the world for Christmas, what would it be?"

She shrugged. "That's a pretty loaded question, Tony. I mean, there's like lab equipment and puppies and an endless supply of Caf-Pow!, but then if things like world peace or all the bad guys in the world to go away forever were an option. . ."

"Don't those two kinda cancel each other out?" Tony asked, but then waved away his own question. "Never mind. You know what I'd want?"

Abby screwed up her face in thought, then grinned as she said, "Ferrari! Or a legit movie theater in your living room."

Tony made a noise of contemplation, then said, "As nice as those things would be, no. I would want . . . to be happy."

Abby tilted her head at him. "You're not happy?"

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. I just. . . Look at McGee and Ziva. I didn't see that coming. I don't think anybody did. But they're so happy together, and now they're having a baby, who's probably already here by now. It's just funny how things come together."

Abby continued to study him, then spoke, her voice soft. "What happened to you really made you think, huh?"

He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her about the alternate reality and his conversation with Paula, but decided against it, instead simply nodding and saying, "Yeah. I guess I know now what I really want."

"To be happy," Abby confirmed. Tony didn't say anything, so Abby fidgeted around, twisting her hands and finally asking what was on her mind. "Why are you telling _me _all this, Tony?"

"I just thought," he gave her a soft smile, "if Tim and Ziva are as happy as they are, maybe we could be happy like that, too."

"Oh, Tony," Abby breathed. He couldn't tell if she liked the idea or thought he was being silly, so he had no choice but to wait for her to say something else. He gazed at her, waiting for her response, and finally she closed the gap between them, giving him yet another hug. He still wasn't sure what that meant, but got a better idea when she murmured in his ear, "All I want for Christmas is you."

He laughed and returned the hug, giving her a happy squeeze before falling into a waiting room chair, bringing her down with him to sit on his lap. They continued to nuzzle each other and talk quietly about what this all meant, while Gibbs stood unseen to them across the room, watching from a doorway. He nodded to himself and turned away, coming face to face with none other than Fornell and Vance.

"How's DiNozzo?" Fornell asked.

Gibbs held back a smirk, thinking about what he'd just witnessed. "He's fine."

"And Ziva?" Vance asked.

"Come on, see for yourselves," Gibbs said, motioning for them to follow him. They took the elevator to the maternity ward and remained silent as Gibbs led them down the hall. They reached Ziva's room and Gibbs knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open, revealing Ziva, McGee, and their baby, who was squirming in Ziva's arms as McGee gazed down in awe.

Both McGee and Ziva looked up as the three men entered the room and McGee spoke. "Hey, Boss. Agent Fornell. Director Vance. How's Tony?"

"He's fine," Gibbs answered. "I'm here to check on Ziva and the baby."

"It's a boy!" McGee said, bubbling with excitement.

"We have decided to name him . . . Jethro," Ziva said, running a hand over her son's head.

"Oh, geez," Fornell muttered behind Gibbs, unable to hold back a laugh.

Gibbs stared at them, then blinked. "You're not serious."

"Of course not," Ziva said, then looked up, laughing at the expression on Gibbs' face. "We decided to go with Joshua."

"Good name," Vance piped up from behind Fornell.

McGee beamed at the praise, then looked to Gibbs. "Do you want to hold him, Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head, smiling a bit. "Nah, I'll come back later, give you guys some time alone with him first." He walked to the side of the bed opposite McGee, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of Ziva's head. "Good job, kid," he said, and Ziva smiled up at him, her face glowing. He looked over at Fornell and Vance then, saying, "Let's get out of here."

As he walked to the door, Fornell and Vance doled out their congratulations, then they waited until they were back to the elevator again before speaking.

"Damn, that kid had some timing," Fornell commented.

Gibbs nodded, then said, "Tobias. . . Thank you for taking care of the crime scene so Tim could be here. I'm sure it meant a lot to him."

Fornell smirked. "Don't go gettin' soft on me, Gibbs. I'll have to buy you a Christmas present."

Both Gibbs and Vance laughed at that, then Vance clapped Gibbs on the back. "Good job today finding Santos . . . and DiNozzo."

Gibbs shrugged and shook his head. "It was all McGee."

Now it was time for Vance's lips to quirk upwards. "Probably knew what would happen if he wasn't here."

Gibbs chuckled at that. "Yeah, yeah, sounds about right."

"Looks like another successful ending for Team Gibbs," Fornell said. "Merry Christmas, Gibbs."

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Tobias."

**THE END!**

**A/N: Thank you all again for reading! :)**


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